While Athara Adventures will guide tours in several locations, we chose to ground our business in the Occitan region of France. The fantastic network of trails, local cuisine, and spectacular views provide plenty of reasons to love the area, but there is another reason to consider visiting this unique region: its long history of comradery and courage.

The Ride of the Five Castles is your chance to have an adventure with jaw-dropping views, heart-pumping climbs, and a delightful, uniquely French experience. The five Cathar castles: Aguilar, Peyrepertuse, Queribus, Puilaurens, and Puivert, once formed the border with Aragon (Spain). Magnificent feats of engineering, these fortresses are candidates for the UNESCO World Heritage List of sites.

There are some items that go into everyone’s pack, no matter the trip, whether hiking or mountain biking. We touch on these in our FAQ’s section, but we’ve fleshed out some of our favorite items here.